Sochi, Russia, ENG — Krasnodar secured all three points at Fisht Stadium thanks to a brace from Eduard Spertsyan, who opened the scoring inside five minutes and then delivered the decisive blow deep into stoppage time after Sochi had pulled level.
Spertsyan gave the visitors the lead almost immediately, striking in the 5th minute to put Krasnodar in control early. The home side struggled to respond for the majority of the contest, with Krasnodar holding firm through the bulk of the match. It appeared Sochi had salvaged a point when Mikhail Ignatov converted in the 88th minute to draw level, sending the home crowd at Fisht Stadium into belief that a share of the spoils was secured.
However, Spertsyan had other ideas. The Krasnodar forward stepped up in the fifth minute of stoppage time to restore his side's advantage and complete his brace, denying Sochi any reward from a late comeback and handing Krasnodar a hard-fought Russian Premier League victory on the road.
GOALS:- 5' Eduard Spertsyan - Krasnodar- 88' Mikhail Ignatov - Sochi- 90+5' Eduard Spertsyan - Krasnodar
STANDOUT PLAYERS:- Sochi: Mikhail Ignatov - Scored Sochi's equalizer in the 88th minute- Krasnodar: Eduard Spertsyan - 2 goals, including the stoppage-time winner
KEY STAT: Spertsyan's stoppage-time winner came just two minutes after Sochi's equalizer, with Krasnodar scoring the decisive goal in the 95th minute of the contest.